CRWD hosted its annual Watershed Stewardship Awards in December 2016. The awards honor individuals or organizations that exemplify watershed stewardship through activities, projects or policies, which demonstrate a commitment to protect, manage and improve water resources of the District. Each year, this event brings CRWD staff, board and Citizen Advisory Committee members together with our partners to reflect, share and celebrate our accomplishments.

Watershed District Citizen of the Year Awards
Working with neighbors, Janna Caywood helped establish the Como Active Citizen Network (CACN) in Saint Paul. CACN organizes annual leaf clean-ups to prevent phosphorous from getting into Como Lake and causing algae blooms. In 2016, 223 households participated in clean-ups, removing more than 11 pounds of phosphorous. Janna’s leadership has inspired many others to get involved in watershed protection efforts.

Patricia Ohmans is a resident of Saint Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood who has been instrumental in many gardening and water protection efforts. She was a co-founder of Frogtown Farm and Park, which converted office space to green space including a large community garden. Patricia also helped establish FrogLab, an education program at Hmongtown Marketplace, focused on Bringing the Frogs Back to Frogtown. Patricia is a visionary and does an excellent job of creating opportunities for community-led environmental education and activism.

Watershed District Partner of the Year Award
The District 6 Planning Council represents residents of the North End community in Saint Paul. They have worked closely with CRWD and the City of Saint Paul to complete a natural resource inventory, establish plans for a community rain garden and advocate for the restoration of Willow Reserve. They also supported efforts to transform a brownfield site into an environmental treasure known as the Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary. District 6 is a valued and trusted partner in the North End.

Project of the Year Award
The owners of Bang Brewing, 2320 Capp Rd., have shown a commitment to sustainability in their choice of building materials, brewing techniques, recycling and composting practices, and rain gardens on site. They have created a little oasis that is both beautiful and functional. Bang Brewing is an excellent example of how to thoughtfully redevelop a site with sustainability in mind.

Young Watershed Stewards of the Year Award
Olive Murdoch Meyer and Bridget Moynihan served as student representatives and advisors for clean water projects at Central High School. They donated countless hours to rain garden maintenance, raised money to help cover project costs, and offered suggestions for how to best connect students with the project as part of their work with the Roots and Shoots club. CRWD hopes to use their work as a model for future partnerships with schools.

Lifetime Stewardship Award
David Arbeit has been an integral part of CRWD since the beginning. As a longtime member of the District 10 Environment Committee, David has a history of working for clean water in Como Lake. He was intimately involved in the creation of CRWD and has been a dedicated member of its Citizen Advisory Committee since the District was founded in 1998. The District values his thoughtful participation in and knowledge of CRWD programs and projects. We feel very fortunate to have him on our team.